Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Few days ago , I made one of the Christmas-themed cookies that I've seen online . I told myself how hard can it be to decorate the top of the cookies ?! I really suck at decorating and the ones that I made turned out to be a disaster , more scary than merry ugh ! I stared hard at the result and just sigh , so I scraped off the toppings and ate some of the cookies . Hey , the chocolate-peanut butter combination tastes really good ! Maybe I'll try again next week or better yet , next year .....

Or maybe I'll consider posting it and just change the name to " A nightmare before Christmas cookies " lol

So I baked another recipe , this time from America's Test Kitchen book , using the chocolate chip cookie recipe but omitted the chips and used some dried fruits and nuts instead . The color of the cranberries and pistachios make these cookies look festive . I like most of the recipe that I tried from that book though some didn't turn out as I expected it to be . Case in point , these cookies , it doesn't have a cracked top as the ones in the book , either because I over mixed the dough , which I usually do almost all the time or I just missed something else huh ?! That small anomaly heh ! aside , these cookies tastes great ! Thick and chewy ( melted butter in the dough helps make the cookies chewy ) with wonderful flavor and crispy texture - what more could you ask for ?!

* In a large bowl , beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth , 1 to 2 minutes . Beat in the egg , egg yolk and vanilla until combined , about 30 seconds , scraping the sides of the bowl as needed .

* Reduce the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined . Mix in about three-fourths of dried fruits and pistachios until incorporated .

* Working 2 tablespoons at a time or depending on the size you prefer , roll dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets , spaced about 2 inches apart . Sprinkle top with some remaining dried fruits and pistachios .

* Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are set and the centers are still soft and puffy . Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes , you can serve them warm or transfer to the wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container .

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Time flies so fast and in less than a month , it would be another year .

So , how's life treating you so far ?

Anyway , I've made these pretzels last week but don't have time to sort out the photos . I used Alton Brown's recipe and this is actually my second batch , the first attempt was so-so , the shape looks blah and I found the taste a bit salty . This time , I hit a jackpot for both taste and shape , well , except for the legs heh !
Before I tasted Auntie Annie's soft pretzels , I was hooked on Snyder's , the hard and crunchy version with lots of different flavors and are readily available in the supermarkets . Much as I love hard pretzels , I can eat only so much before the roof of my mouth starts hurting . I don't have a problem with soft pretzels except I have to make it myself since you can't buy it anywhere in our area . No more Auntie Annie's shop in the mall near us *sigh*

From what I've read at Alton Brown's Good Eats 3 book , soft pretzels are always made with yeast dough and are similar in both composition and construction to bagels . Pretzels are shaped then briefly dip in a boiling water bath before baking . There are 2 ways to make a water bath , using a lye solution which you need a bit care in handling and using a baking soda which is readily available and safe to use . The boiling method gives pretzels its unique chewy flavor and a nice golden brown color . Brown's recipe calls for a baking soda bath but I added 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar when I saw The Kitchn's pretzel recipe . The recipe listed below is half with some minor tweaks .

The dough will be sticky for few minutes of kneading but still easy enough to handle . The boiling gelatinize the surface of the pretzel dough ( and the addition of brown sugar ) makes the boiled dough a bit sticky , so don't forget grease the parchment paper , if you have a silicone baking mat , use it instead , it'll make your pretzels easier to remove after baking .

In this recipe , I used parmesan cheese not only as a filling , though you couldn't tell when you look at the photo below , but also for the glaze and topping . The cheese snob will certainly love this parm pretzels lol

11 oz / 308 grams all-purpose flour1 1/2 teaspoons sugar1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon instant yeast 3/4 cup warm water1 oz / 28 grams unsalted butter , melted * In a mixing bowl , combine the flour , sugar , salt and yeast , use a whisk and mix thoroughly . Make a well in the center and pour in water and melted butter . Mix everything until it forms a cohesive dough , tip dough in the work surface and knead until smooth and elastic . * Transfer dough in a lightly-oiled mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap , let rest until doubled in size , 1 hour or so , depending on the temperature . * Tip dough on the work surface , knead for few seconds then divide the dough into 8 pieces ( 65 grams each ) , let rest for 10 minutes . * Meanwhile preheat oven to 450°F / 230°C . Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil or use a silicon baking mat . * Working one dough at a time , shape dough into a square , about 4 1/2-inch , use your palm or fingertips to spread it , sprinkle top with some cheese and roll out dough into 18-20 inches . If the dough breaks while rolling , shape it again into a small ball and let it rest for a while . Make a U-shape with the rope , hold both ends and make a twist in the middle ; take the ends and press firmly into the top sides of the U ( or in the photo below , it's the other way around ) , place in the baking sheet and cover with tea towel . Continue with the rest of the dough . Let stand for 20 minutes until fluffy . * Bring 10 cups of water with baking soda and sugar into a boil in a wok or any straight-sided pan large enough to hold the water . One by one , place pretzels in the boiling water for 30 seconds . Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula , shake excess water and return them to the sheet pans , brush top with glaze and sprinkle some cheese on top . * Bake pretzels until dark golden brown in color , 12 to 14 minutes . Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving . For the water bath : 10 cup water 2/3 cup baking soda2 tablespoon light brown sugarFor the glaze : Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Condensed milk is a preferred sweetener when it comes to coffee or tea in some parts of Asia . This very thick and sweet product commonly packaged in tubes and tins ; it is also often used in making cakes , candies and other desserts . When I was young , I used to sweeten my cup of Milo or Ovaltine with it . I remember my Mother making Yema balls , a soft and gooey custard candy made from condensed milk and let us sell those at school . Yeah , I didn't know about Child Services at that time lol

This Japanese bread is popular among blogging friends and I first saw it at Sonia's blog . I called my tweaked version milk bread as there's not much condensed milk in this recipe . Condensed milk is the original filling but I have some leftover blueberry sauce from the cheesecake that I've made nearly 2 weeks ago . You can use any sweet filling like jam , peanut butter , Nutella , caramel to name a few . There's not much filling inside each " rose " of this tweaked Japanese bread , initially , I've added some whole blueberries in each layers but it kept popping out so I discarded the idea . I should have crushed the berries meh !

I was aiming for a 3-inch high bread just like Sonia's but using some wholewheat flour and the lower temperature that day , 19°C , means more time for the second rise . I just let it rise for an hour since I had to go out . Mine came out not so tall , about 2 1/4-inch .

This bread is very easy to make but weighing 35 pieces of dough at 15 each grams each was a bit time-consuming . But it's very satisfying once you've finished doing it . Some of the roses though look weird since the small piece of dough that I put before rolling it weighs 15 grams , it should be smaller and 5 grams is just about right .

According to my taste tester , my bread has no taste , the blueberry filling that I've made is bland , I admit . As I was typing this post , I told myself that I should have added more sugar to that effin' sauce ! Actually , I like it just fine or maybe because I'm the one who made it ha ! Oh well , you can't please everyone !

* In a mixing bowl , combine the first 5 ingredients , whisk until well combined . Make a well in the center of the flour mixture then pour in the milk , mix until it forms a shaggy dough . Tip dough onto the work surface and knead for a minute then add in the butter and knead . If you feel that the dough is a bit dry *** add water . Knead until dough is smooth and elastic , about 13 minutes . Transfer into a lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap . Let rise for an hour or so until doubled in size . * Weigh dough , 35 pieces of 15 grams and 7 pieces of 5 grams ( depending on how much is your final dough , just adjust the amount ) , form into a small balls , cover and let rest for 10 minutes . * Lightly greased an 8-inch loose-bottom pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper . Set asideCheck out the step-by-step photo on how to shape this bread here* Roll out 5 pieces of 15 grams dough , about 3 to 3 1/4-inch in diameter , brush each with blueberry sauce . Layer the rolled pieces , overlapping each , place a chopstick in the middle and gently press down over the layered circles of dough to secure it . Form one 5 grams of dough into a log , smaller on both ends . Place the log at the end of the layered dough facing you . Roll up the pieces starting from the bottom and gently seal the ends . Cut into 2 and place the dough , cut side down into the prepared pan . Repeat with the remaining dough . Brush top with the glaze . * Let rest in the warm place until doubled in size . * Meanwhile , preheat oven to 180°C . Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown . Inner temperature of the bread should be between 185°F to 190°F , if using a thermometer .

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

How's your Halloween prep coming along ? We don't actually celebrate it here , some people just go to Lan Kwai Fong to party , that place is known for its Halloween street party . But some estates here especially the ones with lots of expats do celebrate it by trick or treating . Back home in the Philippines ,we celebrate the next day after Halloween and it's called All Soul's Day . We don't do trick or treating or donning a Halloween costume on the night of October 31st but in the past few years some people do it the American way . The food we usually prepare at home is valenciana , sort of like paella and suman , a sticky rice cake made of glutinous rice , sugar and coconut milk . Visiting the cemetery is a must , bringing candles , flowers and food . Nowadays , All Soul's Day , Filipino-style is a more festive atmosphere , sort of like picnic , in the cemetery .

I decided to make a Halloween-themed cupcakes when I discovered the already expired orange and green sugar paste . The first chocolate cupcake recipe that I tried turned out bland and since I overfilled the liners , the cupcakes look like a mushroom . I tried another recipe and was quiet happy with the utterly chocolaty taste and it's fudgy , too . Though some didn't quiet reach the lip of the liner so , I cheated a bit and cut some smaller cupcake in half and transfer it to some not-so quiet high cupcakes hah ! I bought a new sugar paste , the orange though is more like a neon orange as you can see and the pumpkin looks like a bell pepper *sigh* I like the broken glass cupcakes the most but my broken glass looks spotty and not quiet clear . Oh well , they don't look half-bad , right ?! lol

185 ml water1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee powder100 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips , chopped75 grams all-purpose flour75 grams self-raising flour40 grams ( Valrhona ) dutch-processed cocoa powder30 grams ground almonds1 egg , lightly whisked* Preheat oven to 160°C . Line mini muffin pans with liners . I used 18 2 1/4 x 1 1/4 x 1 1/2-inch mini muffin liners .* Combine the butter , water , sugar , coffee powder and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat . Cook , stirring from time to time , until mixture is smooth . Take off from heat and let cool slightly for 10 minutes . * Combine the 2 flours and cocoa powder and sift over the chocolate mixture , use a wire whisk and mix until just combined . Add the egg and stir to combine . Divide mixture into the prepared pan , ideal amount in each liner is three-quarters ( 3/4 ) full . * Bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with some moist crumbs . Cool completely on a wire rack . For the cream cheese frosting :Recipe adapted from Jamie's America , page 38 170 grams cream cheese , at room temperature57 grams butter , at room temperature1 cup icing sugar , I used scant 1 cup 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractzest and juice of 1 lemon , I used half zest and juice * In a medium bowl , combine cream cheese , butter , vanilla and zest and lemon juice ; sift in the icing sugar . Use a whisk or electric beater and mix until smooth . Spoon or pipe onto cupcakes . For the " fake blood "3 tablespoons ( or more if prefer ) raspberry jam , strained 1/4 teaspoon strawberry paste * In a small saucepan , combine jam and paste , stir over medium heat for about 20 seconds . Transfer to a small saucer and let cool before using .For the "broken glass " aka clear caramel Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart3/4 cup granulated sugar6 tablespoons water * Prepare a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet , set aside .* In a small saucepan , combine sugar and water , cook over medium heat , don't stir , for 6 to 7 minutes ( depending how thick the saucepan and the stove your using ) or until mixtures starts to turn light gold around the edges . Take pan off heat , pour over clear caramel into the prepared baking sheet , tilt pan to spread caramel over the edges to make a thin layer . Let cool to harden . Break clear caramel into pieces . For the sugar paste pumpkin : orange and green sugar paste * Roll a small amount of orange sugar paste into a ball , use a pairing knife or a scraper to make a shallow cut around to resemble a pumpkin . Make a small indentation on top and insert in a very small amount of green sugar paste . You can make as many as you like .

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Hi guys , it's Anne ! Remember me ?! lolNo , I'm not spending my time at the #OccupyMongkok rally . Heh !
Anyway , here's one fool-proof recipe . Sonia was not exaggerating about her melt-in-the-mouth pineapple tart ! I've made several batches of these last Chinese New Year and everybody loved it . I've been hankering over these tarts for weeks and even made the filling 4 days ago but just too lazy to bake until now ugh !

What I love about this recipe is the dough , it's really easy to handle and no matter how you manhandle it , the tart will still be buttery .

Now , making the pineapple filling is another matter . Of course , you can still buy it , baking supplies shops here are selling pineapple filling all-year round . The taste though , in my opinion , of the store-bought one is plasticky . But once you tried making the filling yourself , the second or the 10th time will be a breeze , just be on the lookout once the mixture boils .

Don't worry if I fall off the grid , again , next time , the weather here is ideal for lazing around hee hee !

175 grams salted butter , softened 70 grams condensed milk 1 large egg yolk255 grams all-purpose flour 1 egg , beaten then strained . for glazing * Place butter and condensed milk into a large bowl , beat over medium speed until light and fluffy . Add in the yolk and beat until just combined then add in the flour , mix until well combined . * Preheat oven to 175°C .* Weigh dough and filling , 10 grams filling and 15 grams dough . Flatten dough into circle , about 2 inches in diameter , place filling and roll dough to seal , place into the baking sheet . You can form it into a small ball , square or rectangle , use a pairing knife or a scraper to make a shallow cut ( crisscross pattern ? ) on top . Brush top with egg wash .* Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until top is golden brown . Let cool in the pan before removing .* If using a counter top oven , place baking sheet on the second highest rack when baking the tarts .Pineapple filling : Yield : 360 grams1 pineapple / 985 grams peeled weight , puréed150 grams granulated sugar , adjust accordingly* Place puréed pineapple in a wok or a large pan and cook over medium-high heat , stirring from time to time ( mixture will splatter madly so put on the cover ) for 25 minutes . Once the mixture turns a bit dry , add in the sugar ( it will splatter again for few minutes ) and continue to cook for another 15 minutes , stirring from time to time or until mixture is thick .* Transfer mixture into a bowl and let cool completely before using .

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

There is a nip in the air , a cool 25°C in the morning but come noontime , it'll another hot day *sigh* I hope winter will come early here , I'm really fed up with you , summer !

I used the last of my cream cheese and one of the few times that it haven't got a chance to develop molds yet hee hee ! Planning on using it for another recipe of cream-cheese filled apple cake but don't have enough apples and eggs on hand .

I've been wanting to make this cheesecake for quiet sometime but I always forget to buy pecans . This decadent treat appears during autumn/fall where apples are abundant . But don't worry , you can make this anytime , anywhere and whenever you have the urge . Definitely a nice change to the same old , same old blueberry/cherry/strawberry cheesecake !

* Place the cream cheese and sugar in a medium mixing bowl , beat over medium speed until light and smooth . Add in the cream and beat well until well combined ; add in the egg and vanilla , beat until just combined . Pour into the pan and gently drop the pan twice or thrice on the counter top to remove air bubbles . * Combine the ingredients for the topping , mix well ; spoon mixture evenly on top of the cream cheese filling .* Bake for 35-40 minutes . Let cheesecake cool inside the oven for 30 minutes , leaving door slightly ajar . Chill at least 4 hours or overnight before consuming .

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Whenever I buy bananas , there are always some pieces left lurking on the table after few days and since nobody will touch it but me , either freeze the pathetic-looking pieces for smoothie or use them for baking . I already found my ideal banana bread , I like it cakey and sort of spongy , the Flour's Bakery recipe is the one I've been looking for a long time and I baked it 3 times last month alone . Because I can only eat so much banana bread using the same recipe I decided to try another one . I've seen this recipe from the Cooking Light magazine that I've borrowed few months ago and the caramelized bananas sounds very tempting .

The recipe is pretty straight-forward , caramelizing the bananas is one easy step to have this very satisfying and moriesh treat . My only problem with the mixture is some small lumpy flour that just wont dissolve , I had to pinch several lumpy pieces before baking tsk tsk ! Note that the banana mixture will still be warm after you finished mixing everything and I think that's normal in this recipe or maybe our kitchen at that time was way too hot !

When making the glaze , make sure to keep an eagle-eye on it , my browned butter glaze nearly turned out black butter glaze ugh ! If your saucepan is not thick enough , use low heat and less time in browning the butter .

This bread is very moist even straight from the fridge . If you don't like cakey and spongy kind of banana bread , you would love this recipe !

* Bake 35-40 minutes for the mini-bundts and 50 minutes to 1 hour for the loaf pan or until skewer inserted in the middle of the bread comes out with a bit of moist crumbs . Transfer to the wire rack , cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan ; let cool .

To make the glaze :

* In a small saucepan , cook butter until it starts to turn brown , depending on how thick is the saucepan , it'll take less than a minute so keep an eye on it . take pan off heat , sift in icing sugar and add in the half and half , whisk until mixture is smooth . Drizzle immediately over the cooled bread . let glaze set before slicing the bread .

Monday, September 15, 2014

I was thinking this the first time I've made chicken karaage , " Here goes another unhealthy treat that I would love to eat occasionally ha ! more like , I could eat this everyday ! " Now , remember , moderation is the key ! I seldom deep-fried , for one , I hate to store used oil in the fridge for a long time and since I'm the only one here who dig this fantastic but unwholesome deliciousness , cooking it for one person seems superfluous .

But because it's nearly the time of the month ....

Excuses , excuses !

If your compare this karaage to my previous one , you'll see that this version is much fluffier . At that time , I thought I also used potato starch as I bought it at one of my favorite baking supply store . By the time I finished cooking and photographing it , I compare it to Sonia's and No Recipes' sites . The coating of mine looks thinner and thinking maybe I did shake off too much excess flour or starch , for that matter .

I've made it again for our New Year's dinner , I bought a pack of potato starch at one of the shops that sells Japanese products . If only you've seen my face while I was cooking the karaage , using the right potato starch , it looks like the authentic-looking version lol

The potato starch is made from potato that has been peeled , the flesh is grind into a mushy slurry then dehydrated , the texture is similar to that of cornstarch , it's usually use as a thickening agent and of course , makes a great crispy coating . Potato flour on the other hand , is made from whole potato , including the skin and it gives baked goods such as loaf bread a nice soft and moist texture . It makes a nice , crispy coating as well though a bit thin and you still can use it in this kind of recipe if starch is not readily available .

To offset the unwanted calories from the karaage , I've made this simple but wonderful salad as a side . Initially , it was supposed to be an apple-cabbage slaw but I've been wanting to make homemade sesame dressing . The bottled version tastes good but making it at home is easy , cheap and certainly delicious ! The tangy dressing goes really well the crunchy salad and the salad itself is a good foil for the greasy karaage .

Spicy chicken karaage , serves 4

550 grams boneless whole chicken leg , cut into bite-size pieces

4 teaspoons sake

4 teaspoon mirin

4 teaspoon light soy sauce

20 grams / 1-inch peeled ginger , finely chopped or grated

2 cloves garlic , finely minced or grated

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon teaspoon chilli flakes

pinch of salt

2/3 cup potato starch

dash of ground black pepper

oil for frying

lime or lemon wedges , to serve

* In a bowl , combine the chicken and the rest of the ingredients , chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes , more , if time permits .

* In a bowl or plate . combine the potato starch and the black pepper .

* In a saucepan , heat oil , the oil is ready if you dip a bamboo chopstick and it sizzles or use a deep-fry thermometer , if available .

* Dip several pieces of chicken into the starch mixture until each piece is well covered up . Gently drop each piece into the hot oil and fry in batches until chicken pieces floats on top and lightly golden . transfer to the plate and repeat with the remaining pieces .

* Once all the chicken is done , turn up the heat , gently drop chicken in batches until each piece is golden brown , transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and continue with the rest . Serve hot .

Apple and cabbage salad serves 4-6

1 Gala apple , unpeeled , cored and thinly-sliced

1 Granny Smith , unpeeled , cored and thinly-sliced

2 teaspoon lime juice

200 grams thinly-sliced red cabbage

50 grams thinly-sliced carrot

1/2 cup steamed fresh corn kernels

* In a large bowl , toss the 2 apples and lime juice , add in the rest of the ingredients , chill in the fridge for about an hour . To serve , divide into bowls and drizzle in the sesame dressing .

* In a wok or a large pan , toast sesame seeds over medium heat ; stirring from time to time , for 6 minutes or until lightly golden . Place seeds into mortar and pestle , grind into a paste . Transfer paste into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients , mix well to combine . Chill in the fridge before using .

Friday, September 12, 2014

Last week I bought a bag of Gala apples , probably 4 pounds ( I thought it was only a kilo ! ) and even bought 3 pieces of Granny Smith for this recipe alone . I seldom buy that much , more like 3 or 5 pieces whenever I have the urge to eat it . Most of the time , after eating it for 3 straight days , the last one or two will be in the fridge for days , sometimes nearly two weeks until I can't take it anymore and have to eat it or worst , throw it . At least I know one person who's having this weird habit lol

I baked an apple bundt cake using some of those apple , I was so pumped up from the smell alone ! Of course , my joy turned into horror meh ! when I removed the cake from the pan ! Nearly half of the top was stuck at the bottom , I still get misty-eyed thinking about it hee hee ! Next time , I won't be stingy with the butter when greasing the bundt pan .

Oh , that was a cream cheese-filled apple cake , by the way *sigh*

So , what to do with some of the remaining apples ?! I've been eyeing this recipe for quiet sometime and the crust , which is described as sort of pecan shortbread clinched it for me . It was delicious on its own and a breeze to make ! You don't have to roll the dough , just divide it evenly among the tins . If you're using a mini-muffin pan , the tart shells will come off easily , not so if you're using a mini tart tins , patience and a bit help from the trusty pairing knife will do the trick . Just remember to remove it after 5 minutes of cooling , you may find it a bit hot to handle but better than uttering some French words while removing it if you let it stand for a long time .

The filling tastes great , too , I should have used 2 Gala instead of one since it barely cover all my 21 tartlets . The soured cream is a must ! The tanginess of it is a good foil for the buttery crust and the spiced filling . You can use yogurt or crème fraîche ( as recommended in this recipe )